Venetian blind tilt bar bracket



Oct. 13, 1942. H. K. LORENTZEN VENETIAN BLIND TILT BAR BRACKET Originl Filed Aug. 17, 1940 HHHHHIH PIC-3.3.

F INVENTYOR HANS K LORENTZEN BY I iwoausg Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLIND TILT BAR BRACKET Original application August 17, 1940, Serial No. 353,020. Divided and this application June 26, 1942, Serial No. 448,590

4 Claims. (Cl. 15617i This invention relates to Venetian blinds, particularly to a bracket for supporting the nondriven end of the tilt bar. Originally the subjectmatter was presented in my application Ser. No. 353,020, filed August 17, 194.0, of which this is a division.

The non-driven end of a Venetion blind tilt bar is conventionally provided with a projecting gudgeon pin that is journalled in a slot formed in a depending sheet metal bracket or the like. To keep the gudgeon pin in place in the slot various sorts of catches, latches, etc. have been used. The catch or latch is a separate part requiring separate manufacture and an assembly operation to attach it to the bracket. The cost of this adds to the cost of the complete bracket.

A general object of the present invention is to provide, for the non-driven end of a Venetian blind tilt bar, a supporting bracket having retaining means not requiring a separately manufactured and assembled part.

Another object of the invention is to provide, for the non-driven end of a Venetian blind tilt bar, a supporting bracket having stamped integral therewith means to retain the tilt bar in rotative relation thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, stamped sheet metal bracket for supporting the non-driven end of a Venetian blind tilt bar in such manner that the tilt bar can be readily inserted and removed, while being securely held against accidental removal by means not requiring separate manufacturing and assembling operations.

Various other and specific objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a fragmentary elevation showing the present invention in conjunction with l.

a Venetian blind.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, certain parts being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Attached to the head bar I of the blind is the combination cord-lock and tilt bar bracket 10. Projecting from the non-driven end of the tilt bar I2 is a conventional gudgeon pin l5 which I acts as a pintle and is rotatably supported by depending bracket l6 of the combination cord-lock and supporting bracket l0. Suspended from the tilt bar l2 in a conventional manner are the conventional articulated slats ll of the blind; and 55 conventionally arranged lift-cords I8 and [9 are provided for raising and lowering the slats.

The depending bracket I6 is provided with a downwardly inclined pintle slot 40 in the closed or lower end of which pintle I5 is rotatably supported. Instead of completely stamping out the metal to form slot 40, the stamping operation is so arranged as to leave an elongated member 4! which is aligned with the slot 40 and which is integral with the bracket 16 at the root portion 42. Member 4| may be flexed sidewise to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby permitting sidewise insertion and removal of the pintle I5 to and from the slot 40. With the pintle in place in the slot, the member 4| can be flexed back toward, or even into, the plane of the depending leg of bracket I6, thereby preventing accidental removal of the pintle 15 from slot 43. While member 4! may be made of spring metal, that is not necessary. The bracket can be made of relatively soft metal, and be initially stamped with the member 4| in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. After the pintle has been put in place in the bracket, member 4| can then be bent' plated applying my invention, but it will be understood that the disclosure is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the scope of the same.

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet metal bracket for supporting an end of a Venetian blind tilt bar having a projecting pintle, the bracket having a depending leg provided with a downwardly inclined slot the bottom of which forms a bearing for the pintle; the improvement which comprises: said leg being formed with an integral downwardly inclined length of metal aligned with the slot and acting to prevent sidewise movement of the pintle out of the slot, the length of metal being adapted to be flexed to thereby provide clearance for sidewise insertion and removal of said pintle.

2. In a bracket for supporting an end of a Venetian blind tilt bar having a projecting pintle, the bracket having a depending leg provided with a slot open at one end and closed at the other, the closed end portion of the slot forming a bearing for the pintle; the improvement which comprises: said leg being formed with an integral length of metal aligned with the slot and acting to prevent sidewise movement of the pintle out of the slot, the length of metal being adapted to be flexed to thereby provide clearance for sidewise insertion .-and removal of said pintle.

3. In a sheet metal bracket for supporting one end of a Venetian blind tilt bar having a projecting pintle, the bracket having'a depending leg provided with a slot open, at Qne.end and closed at the other, the slot 'beingadapted. .to receive the pintle of the tilt bar; the improvement which comprises: said leg being formed with an integral metal finger blocking sidewise removal of the pintle from the slot, but bendable to thereby provide clearance for the sidewise insertion and removal of the pintle.

4. In a sheet metal bracket for supporting one end of a Venetian blind tilt bar having a projecting pintle, the bracket having a depending leg provided with a slot adapted to receive the pintle of the tilt bar; the improvement which comprises: said leg being provided with a fixedly attached metal finger, the finger being bendable -into. position. to block removal of the pintle from the slot and alsobendable into position providing clearance for the sidewise insertion and removal '15 of the pintle.

HANS K. LORENTZEN. 

